In an increasingly digital world, who truly holds the keys to Europe's financial future?

That's the crux of what 70 leading economists are now pushing in a joint letter directed at EU leadership.

The challenge is stark: across 13 euro-area nations, there's a glaring absence of domestic payment infrastructure. This means when everyday transactions happen—at shops, online platforms, anywhere—those countries have zero independent payment channels. Everything funnels through external systems controlled elsewhere.

The underlying question cuts deeper than logistics. It's about sovereignty. Without native payment rails, European consumers and businesses remain structurally dependent on infrastructure they don't command. Every swipe, every transfer becomes subject to rules written by others.

The economists' position is unambiguous: Europe needs to reclaim agency over its own monetary ecosystem. Whether through developing indigenous digital payment solutions or rebuilding critical financial infrastructure, the message is clear—relying perpetually on third-party systems leaves the continent vulnerable and compromised.

This isn't just economics; it's about financial autonomy in the digital age.